The Lavishness of the Father

Luke 15:8-10 Or suppose a woman has 10 silver coins and loses one. Doesn't she weep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin." The woman in the story is the Father and we, you and I, are the lost coin. She is relentless in her search to find it. She will not stop until it is in hand. So it is with us. Why? Why will God not rest in His pursuit of us? Take a look at Luke 5:11-24 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.' So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. We know this to be the story of the prodigal son, but there's more to this story. Let's look at the definition of 'prodigal'. Google defines prodigal as: 1. spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant. Definitely the son. But there's a second definition that we miss: 2. having or giving something on a lavish scale. This is the father. Not just the wayward son's father, but our Heavenly Father. He gives lavishly, abundantly. John 10:10 (Jesus said) The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. Jesus said not just life, but ABUNDANT life. The lavishness of the Father. Malachi 3:10 refers to tithing, but notice that the Father said if we would bring the tithes, He would open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing the storehouses cannot contain. The lavishness of the Father. John 14:12 (Jesus said) Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. Greater works than these. Us? Doing greater works than Jesus? Out of His OWN mouth, He told us this. The lavishness of the Father. Why? Why does the God of all creation want to extend such generosity toward us? What is it about us that is so special to Him? Why does He even consider us? Look at Ephesians 1:18 "...the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.." According to the New Spirit Filled Life Bible, "Eyes of your understanding being enlightened literally means that your heart may receive the brightness of hope resulting when the wealth of God's investment in you is understood." God has invested in you! People who play the stock market know you don't invest your hard earned money in junk. And they think twice about investing in something risky. God has invested in you. Lavishly. What does lavish mean? To bestow something in generous or extravagant quantities upon; to cover something thickly or liberally. Give freely to, spend generously on, heap on, shower with; liberal, bountiful, openhanded, unsparing, extravagant. Get the picture? Jesus came to pay a debt we could not afford, but, also, to show us the Father's heart for His children. He also told us we'd do greater works than He did. He put the Father’s heart on display for the world and told us we would do the same. The Father has entrusted His heart to you. The lavishness of the Father. His investment in you. Because you’re worthy? Jesus made us worthy because we’re valuable, not the other way around. The lost coin wasn’t valuable because the woman searched for it, she searched for it because it was valuable. The father of the prodigal son, the prodigal father, threw a lavish banquet because his son was valuable. The banquet didn’t give him value- he already had it. He had it before he left. He had it when he was feeding pigs. He had it when his father saw him from a great distance. And the father RAN. He ran toward that which he treasured. You are a pearl of great price. You are treasured. God has placed something special, unique, within you. You have a place in the history of the world that no one else can fulfill. There never has been, nor will there ever again, be anyone like you. You hold a special place in the Father’s heart. The enemy will try to tell you there’s nothing special about you. He’ll put his lies into people’s mouths to try to discourage you; make you doubt. When he does, remember Whose you are and Whose heart beats within you and Who treasures you enough to hang on a cross so that you can fulfill your destiny. We all stumble, but remember- according to Romans 11:29,God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable. He knew the bad choices I would make before He formed the world, but He still said – Look at her! I’ve got plans for that one! He’s got plans for you, too. Because you’re valuable. You have great worth. You’re His emissary in a dark world. We live in a time where we’re told our value is tied to our appearance. Wear these clothes. Use this makeup. Have this body shape. Listen to these people and let them shape your belief system. Lies. All lies. God the Father never told you any of those things. They were designed by the enemy of your SOUL to place you and keep you in bondage. To turn your focus inward, rather than upward. Many years ago, I went through a time where I wished so much that I had a beautiful singing voice. One day the Lord spoke very plainly to me and said “I gave you the voice I wanted you to have. If it’s good enough for Me, shouldn’t it be good enough for you?” Well, all of those things the enemy (and society) use to make us feel unworthy, are just distractions. Beauty comes from the inside. Let it shine out in this confused world. What you look like, sound like or wear will never give you worth. The things of the world will never bring satisfaction. There will always be one more lipstick or eye shadow, one more designer purse, one more pound. While there’s nothing wrong with those things, THEY ARE NOT WHO YOU ARE. You’re like the lost coin- already valuable. Remember, you are the child of a Father who loves you lavishly.